Assault on Blackrock Spire
The Battle of Blackrock Spire' was the pivotal battle of the Second War, when the forces of the Alliance scored a major victory that culminated in the capture of the Orc Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer, smashed the fighting elite of the Horde's army, and ultimately ensured their victory at the Dark Portal. The Battle was not without its price as thousands of the Alliance's best troops died at the slopes of the mountain, including Sir Anduin Lothar, Regent Lord of Azeroth and Supreme Commander of the Alliance. Lead-up to the Battle When Gul'dan betrayed the Horde in his search for the Tomb of Sargeras, he took half of Doomhammer's standing forces with him. This robbed the Warchief of his only chance to destroy the Capital of Lordaeron, and forced him to spend weeks chasing down the traitors, which led to the Battle at the Tomb of Sargeras. Ultimately, the Orcs, now disorganized and at half strength, had to abandon their campaign in the Northlands right on the eve of their final victory. This gave the Alliance time to regroup, and launch an offensive of their own. With the help of the Dwarves, they managed to retake much of Southern Khaz Modan, forcing the Orcs to withdraw to Blackrock Spire, their headquarters. The Alliance would have to pass through the Spire in order to retake the Kingdom of Azeroth, and Doomhammer was unwilling to retreat any further. The stage was set for the final battle between the Horde and the Alliance. The Battle Knowing that Blackrock Spire was a powerful fortress with thousands orcs in it, Lord Lothar rode to Blackrock Spire with a group of soldiers in order to make an offer to Doomhammer : if the warchief and his troops surrender, no harm would be done to them. Unfortunately, Doomhammer wanted to fight till the end. When Lothar and his troops arrived near Blackrock Spire, they were ambushed by an huge group of orcs and ogres. Lothar fought with courage, but his forces were outnumbered. He was slain, and only an handful soldiers survived the battle, including the paladin Turalyon. Doomhammer may have hoped that the loss of their charismatic leader would cause the Alliance to splinter, but if so, the plan quickly backfired on him. The Alliance, enraged over the loss of their leader, launched a full-scale assault on the mountain. The battle last for days. Thousands on both sides died. Dwarves, Elves, Humans and Gnomes battled with Orcs, Ogres, Trolls and Goblins around the slopes, neither side giving ground. But the Alliance forces were stronger, and the soldiers knew that if they destroyed Blackrock Spire, the war would be won. They eventual smashed through the defenses and took the mountain. Doomhammer had just enough time to sound a retreat before he was captured and dragged in chains to Lordaeron. The Horde was broken by this battle. Soon after, most of their allies abandoned them, and they were forced to make a retreat into the Blasted Lands around the Dark Portal. Consumed in a frenzy of demonic bloodlust, they were quickly overwhelmed and defeated and the Dark Portal itself was destroyed. Aftermath Soon after the battle a great statue of Lord Lothar was erected at the base of Blackrock Spire. It still stands, despite being surrounded by a camp of Orcs, and Lothar still points his sword defiantly at the Mountain's peak. Orgrim Doomhammer eventually escaped captivity to wander through the Alterac Mountains. Turalyon would go on to lead the Expeditionary Force into Draenor that resulted in the final destruction of the Dark Portal. The Orc survivors of the battle were rounded up and placed in the first of the Alliance internment camps that would soon house the majority of their race. Origin of the Ashbringer During the Battle of Blackrock Spire, Commander Mograine took a dark crystal from the body of an orc spellcaster he had killed. The shadow energy was so overwhelming that it mangled Mograine's right hand. He kept the crystal locked away for over a decade until finally revealing it to friends in the Knights of the Silver Hand at a meeting in Southshore. This crystal - absorbing the light energies from the paladins and priests present - became the basis for a weapon intended solely to the destruction of the undead: The Ashbringer... Trivia In some sources, including Warcraft 3 manual, the battle is described differently : In a desperate attempt to break the siege, Doomhammer personally led a charge out of the mountain to engage Lothar directly. The two squared off in a titanic battle. The duel raged for hours and left both combatants battered and bloody, but in the end, Doomhammer's youth and natural Orcish strength gave him the edge. He cut down Lothar and then retreated back into the Spire. However, in Warcraft RPG Alliance Player's Guide, the narrator Brann Bronzebeard says that rumors of such a dual are most likely false because of Lothar's skill, which would mean that the battle described in Warcraft 2 is the real version.